Live poultry traders | IACM claims to have reached compensation deal

The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) claims to have brokered a deal with a group of live poultry traders who, starting from this month, have had their profession permanently banned in the MSAR.

The group, which met with the IACM yesterday, was promised about MOP14 million in compensation on top of a previous reimbursement agreement, according to the government department.

“We will pay 154 of them, excluding non-resident workers, almost 14 million patacas,” IACM president Jose Tavares said yesterday, as cited by public broadcaster TDM.

“We’re [also] going to issue an additional two months’ special fund on top of the previous announcement of 200 patacas per head per day [to each of the affected persons] between February and April,” added Tavares.

The live poultry market was been banned in Macau following scares of avian influenza on multiple occasions earlier this year. A representative of IACM said earlier this month that the ban was “due to the consideration of public hygiene and the actual needs of epidemic prevention.”

The poultry traders have previously expressed dissatisfaction toward the compensation packages promised by the government.

At the start of the month, the chairman of the Live Poultry Association, Leong Meng Lap, said that they wouldn’t accept the previous recompense arrangement. Claiming to represent some 250 poultry traders, Leong said: “Of course we don’t accept [this], but what can we do? We’re not the government with ultimate power. But we are not afraid of them. We only have one life and a job to fight for.”

It remains unclear whether the group has accepted this latest compensation deal, however Tavares yesterday insisted, “they basically accept our proposal for now.”

Discussions with representatives of the sector will continue next Monday, the IACM informed.